Stumble it!
September 12, 2007
Tuna Fish & Wacky Packs
The hip after-school snack at the Glamore house is a whole can of tuna, eaten straight from the can with a fork. It’s a vast improvement on sardines and crackers, but we’re going through garbage bags and Lysol at an alarming rate to keep the house from smelling like a fishmonger’s.
Three cans of tuna per day starts to add up, as well, so we’ve foregone Chicken of the Sea for a cheaper brand.
We were talking about the tuna and the need to reduce costs in this area over dinner the other night. It morphed into an in-depth discussion of tunas of yore.
“They used to advertise tuna fish all the time when we were growing up,” I said. “Like, ‘Sorry, Charlie. StarKist doesn’t want tunas with good taste, we want tunas that taste good.’”
“Yeah, and how about ‘Ask any mermaid, you happen to see,’” Bill sang, and then I joined in, “what’s the best tuna, Chicken of the Sea.”
Drew and Porter looked mildly amused.
“How many tuna commercials do y’all know?” Finn asked.
Bill and I looked at each other.
“Only those two,” he answered.
“Good,” Finn said.
“But remember the Wacky Package for the tuna? It was “Sicken of the Sea!” Bill shouted.
“Do you remember “Head and Boulders?” I asked. “And by the way, if you’re cool, you called them Wacky Packs.”
“No, honey, everyone calls them ‘Wacky Packages,’” Bill said. “Wacky Packs. That’s the craziest thing I ever heard of. But Head and Boulders was a good one.”
And then we were quiet. I was remembering the allure of a brand new set of Wacky Packs, but I couldn’t recall any more of the products. I’m pretty sure if I was still in my thirties I’d be able to recall at least one more, but my boys are sucking up my brain cells along with my energy.
“I’m all out,” I finally admitted.
“Me, too,” Bill confessed.
“Does that mean we can stop the Wacky Pack talk and have dessert?” Porter asked.
So we did, but the topic has been nagging at me. I want to hear from you all.
1) What commercials do you remember watching back in the days of shag carpeting?
2) Were you into Wacky Packs (or Packages)? Bill says the folks at this fine establishment are experts in the field. Let’s see how many Wacky Packs we can name in the comments (without Googling) before they notice the hits and put us all to shame on Wacky Pack trivia.
Let the reminiscing begin!
One year ago in the Tiny Kingdom: I Don’t Know Nothin’ Bout Birthin’ Babies
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September 12th, 2007 at 11:06 pm, A Whole Lot of Nothing Says:
I seriously have never heard of Wacky Packs. I feel out of it.
September 12th, 2007 at 11:06 pm, Shayna Says:
OK, so here’s the medical feedback rearing its ugly head! Don’t let the boys eat too much tuna…one can every day is way, way too high exposure to mercury. They can actually get mercury poisoning!
September 13th, 2007 at 2:47 am, Dana Says:
Bustedfinger was my favorite Wacky Pack
September 13th, 2007 at 7:22 am, Mom on Coffee Says:
Minute Lice. YUMMY!!!!
Just jumping in to agree with Shayna too. Maybe switch it up with chicken???
September 13th, 2007 at 9:18 am, Barbara Says:
“Plop, plot, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is!”
And of course, the classic (sung as quickly as possible) “Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.” Now we know that will kill us too.
Several for things I dislike but remember the jingle nonetheless, “He’s a Pepper, She’s a Pepper, I’m a Pepper, Wouldn’t you like to be a Pepper too?” (wow, talk about peer pressure!)
or “Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t.” I loved the jingle, but hate coconut.
There are a lot of good ones, but then you would think the only thing I ever did was watch TV. I did read a lot too.
I loved Wacky Packs as a kid. I thought they were so clever, and all the cool kids had them.
September 13th, 2007 at 9:29 am, Traci Says:
I don’t remember the wacky packs so much as the garbage pail kids - because my younger brother was VERY into those.
I remember loving the Scott Baio Dr. Pepper commercial. But more than the commercials, I remember the shows - Dancing With the Stars has got nothing on Dance Fever!
September 13th, 2007 at 11:16 am, Karin Says:
I remember those jingles very well. How about this “..hold the pickle hold the lettuce, special orders don’t upset us…” or “Lolly Pop Lolly Pop Life Saver Lolly Pop…”
We love tuna in our house, my husband was addicted to it when I met him. Because it is reported to have high levels of mercury we rarely eat it any more.
September 13th, 2007 at 12:59 pm, Laura Says:
Weren’t these advertised in Mad Magazine? I can remember these along with my Pet Rock, Sea Monkeys, scratch and sniff stickers and Pound Puppies. My mother would send them to me at summer camp too.
September 13th, 2007 at 1:06 pm, Joy East of theKingdom Says:
“Here’s to good friends, tonigh is kinda special…” Oh wait, maybe that’s not a good one.
One of my favorite trivia bits: All the best jingles and game show themes were written by Barry Manilow!(Including the Dr Pepper theme…did Scott Baio do one, I only remember David Naughton from “Amreican Werewolf in London” wearing the little vest…)Anyway,Barry has a little section on one of his live albums were he does a little montage of all the jingles & themes he’s written.
September 13th, 2007 at 1:30 pm, Pamela Says:
Hey..when I click on at this( from your blog) fine establishment, it goes to a frame shop here in Auburn? Which is fine, but I am unsure what the relevance is to tuna? Ha!
War Eagle!
September 13th, 2007 at 1:53 pm, momumo Says:
Sorry we only had the garbage pail kids - and I always thought they were a little geeky actually
We are such dorks about it that our kids know the jingles - ‘my bolgna has a first name’ or ‘what kind of kids eat armour hot dogs’ ‘o.r.e.o.’, ’see the USA in your Chevrolet’, and of course there were the hilariously bad local commercials for car lots and furniture stores… ugh — I also still often, even in business meetings, use the breck commercials to illustrate synergy — most people our age just nod and say ‘oh yeah’ - and she told two people, and they told two people, and they told two people…
September 13th, 2007 at 2:23 pm, rima Says:
Oh, I luuuuuuurve this post!
“Raise your hand (you got it!)
Raise your hand (you know it!)
You feel confident secure!
Raise your hand (you got it!)
Raise your hand (you know it!)
Raise your hand RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU’RE SURE!”
and:
“Swiss Miss Pudding Ba-ars. Pudding on a stick!”
September 13th, 2007 at 4:55 pm, Susu Says:
I believe that I’m a couple of years older than you, Anne, but the only Wacky Packs are those at Sonic Drive-In. My 8 year old always has the grilled cheese and I get the jr. cheeseburger, then give him the toy!!
What about the State Farm commercial - I don’t know the correct words, but I always thought it said, “State Farm, say something bad”. I believe that it’s really, “State Farm, State Farm is there”. I wondered as a child why they would talk that way on the radio!!
Have you ever thought about having a “Tiny Kingdom” parade w/queen riding in a convertible Hummer??? Kinda like the Sweet Potato Queen parade over in Jackson, MS. I love those books, especially the cookbook - Love Lard dip, etc. Really fattening, but delicious.
September 13th, 2007 at 4:59 pm, KLee Says:
Oh, commercials I remember –
* “How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pop?” “One…two…uh-three!”
* “J-E-L-L-O!”
* “Pardon me? Do you have any Grey Poupon?”
* “What walks down stairs, alone or in pairs? Everyone knows it’s Slinky!”
I don’t remember the Wacky Packs being called that, though I do remember the ads themselves. I mostly remember the Garbage Pail Kids because my brother thought they were cool. He was a total spaz. Of course, I once had “Valley Girl” stickers with all the phrases from the Moon Unit Zappa song stuck all over my schoolbooks, so I can’t really diss him too much.
September 13th, 2007 at 5:15 pm, liz Says:
Now you see it, now you don’t
Here you have it, here you won’t
Oh! Diet P3psi!
One small calorie!
Now you see it, now you don’t
That great P3psi taste
Diet P3psi won’t go to your waist
Oh! Diet P3psi!
One small calorie!
Now you see it, now you don’t
September 13th, 2007 at 6:19 pm, K Says:
wow, the TV memories!
Life Cereal “He won’t eat it - he hates everything”
Enjoli perfume “I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan..and never let you forget you’re a man…”
Chiffon Marjarine “Its not nice to fool mother nature”
Coke “I’d like to teach the world to sing”
Almond JOy “Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t”
“If it says Libby’s Libby’s Libby’s on the Label Label Label you will like it like it like it on your table table table”
And those Charlie Tuna commercials - “Sorry, Charlie”
I couldnt remember the wacky packs so I googled it and you can buy them at the RIverchase Galleria!
September 14th, 2007 at 10:29 am, Mamaluv Says:
Too young for the jingles you mentioned, and Canadian besides…
I think of the candy Smarties (similar to M&Ms) and “eating the red ones last”, the Oscar Meyer wiener song, and the french fry kid. My memories only start in the early ’80s, but we did have shag carpet and my parents listened to Gordon Lightfoot all the time…
Warnings about tuna safety aside, I think it’s great that your kids enjoy such *healthy* snacks! I consider myself lucky when I compromise with apple slices dipped in chocolate sauce or cinnamon flavored graham crackers.
September 14th, 2007 at 12:43 pm, Marine Wife Says:
Hmm…while a lot of the jingles sound familiar, am wondering if I missed the whole Wacky Pack thing while we lived in Germany. (I was an Army brat.)
September 14th, 2007 at 9:41 pm, Jeanne Says:
I’m with you, Ann - they were called Wacky Packs. When I read “packages” something seemed off and then I laughed when I read how you tried to correct Bill.
I can’t believe I’m drawing a complete blank on the Wacky Pack products. I’ll probably start to remember them as I drift off to sleep in a short while.